Cross My Heart and Hope to Die
by SpiritoftheMapleLeaf
Summary: Gilbert Beildschmidt hasn't exactly been the best boyfriend. He's never kept his promises, no matter how important they were. Until one day his girlfriend winds up in the hospital barely clinging to life because of it. Now, with only days left for her, Gilbert is in a race against the clock to find some way, any way, to save her. If only he could deal with his own regrets. PruCan.
1. Sechzen

**A/N: It's BACK! And hopefully better than before. This is my second try at this story since, due to some personal issues, I had to take it down. Luckily that's over so here it is again. I revised parts that I believed needed it, so the story is different from the first one. And I have all the chapters finished. So you shall be guaranteed an ending. **

**Disclaimer: Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. **

**So there you go. Enjoy your reading~**

Sechzen

Promises are meant to be broken.

At least, that's what Gilbert always thought. There'd always be a time when he promised something, such as to be somewhere at a certain time, or to not do this, and he'd always fail. Matter of fact, he lost his last girlfriend to a broken promise. (She was furious and he got a face full of frying pan when they broke up.)

Gilbert wasn't a trustworthy guy. Everyone knew it. It was his nature to do bad. When his best friends needed someone to rely on, it was always each other, anyone but Gilbert. He didn't do it on purpose. It just happened.

And then Madeline came along. This shy, quiet Canadian with wavy blond hair that looked like it kidnapped the sunlight and held it captive in its locks, and these striking eyes the color of amethysts that just took his breath away. She had this cute little laugh that sounded like twinkling stars, if that made any sense at all. Maddie was just so innocent and kind-hearted, the opposite of Gilbert.

When he fell for her, he starting staying out of trouble. His grades became average. Maddie had this affect on him that made Gilbert want to prove he was mature enough for her. Even now when he had her in his arms, he didn't get into too much trouble, sort of.

They'd been going out for six months; the longest Gilbert's ever been in a relationship. He still wasn't sure how he ended up with her. With his shaggy albino hair and hypnotic red irises, he wasn't exactly attractive. Awesome, yeah, but not attractive. It must've been that.

Gilbert smiled at his beautiful girlfriend. They'd been sitting on the couch in his livingroom, watching some chickflick that Maddie had wanted to see. She noticed, and smiled back at him. "What?" she asked.

He chuckled his odd little "kesesesese" laugh. "Nothing, Birdie. Everything's perfect." He draped an arm over her shoulder. Maddie smiled at her nickname and snuggled closer into him.

"Gil?"

"Yes, beautiful?"

"Would you come with me to Alfred's game tomorrow? It's the last one of the season, and he wants moral support. Would you come?"

Gilbert groaned inwardly. The one thing with Maddie was her all-star, way-too-full-of-himself jerk of a twin brother constantly breathing down his back. If he screwed up, it would always be Alfred there to throw it in his face. He remembered the time he took Maddie to a wedding and the hotel room...kinda sort of burst into flames. Gilbert wasn't even there when it happened, but naturally, he was blamed anyways. Now he'd have to go lend "moral support" to Alfred? Nu-uh.

"I'd like to, Birdie, but you know we don't get along that well." Gilbert reasoned with an uncomfortable expression on his face. That was an understatement. Try _not at all._

"I know, but we won't even see him. We'll just go watch the game, and then we'll leave as soon as the game ends. Please Gil?"

Gilbert protested, but his willpower crumbled at the sight of her sparkling pleading eyes. For better or for worse, he loved Maddie too much to ever say no to her. "Alright. But don't expect me to cheer. That's completely unawesome."

Maddie smiled. "Thanks, but you have to promise." She gave him a meaningful look.

Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "Promise? Why?"

"Because I know you mister. You'll completely blow me off if you don't." She poked his chest. "Promise."

Gilbert rolled his eyes. She was probably right, but still. "K, fine. I promise."

Maddie looked at him doubtfully. "What?" Gilbert demanded.

"Cross your heart and hope to die." She said, dead serious.

Gilbert sighed. One thing about Maddie: she could stubborn sometimes if she thought it was right. "I cross my heart and hope to die."

Maddie gave him a smile that melted Gilbert's heart. He couldn't help but smile back. "I'll give you a ride there, okay?" he offered.

Maddie nodded. Her glasses fell down the bridge of her nose at the gesture, and when she pushed them back up he got this strange feeling like his insides had just been liquefied. Gilbert ran a hand through her lush golden hair. "Damn, you're beautiful."

Maddie blushed, and once again the sensation hit him. "Language, Gil." She chastised him, playfully shaking a finger at him.

That was all he needed to lose control. He removed her glasses and placed them on the coffee table next to an abandoned bowl of popcorn. Then he leaned in and planted a light kiss on her lips, then a more feverish one.

Gilbert felt his stomach flutter. She tasted like maple syrup and mint, an odd but somehow intoxicating flavor. With a light push she laid back on the couch as he straddled her, all the while holding the long embrace of lips. He went down to her neck, gently placing light butterfly kisses all the way to the collar of her shirt. She threw her head back in complete surrender, just the way Gilbert adored. His hand went to the seam of her pants, tracing along the edge until he reached the button. Before messing with it though his hand traveled up under the shirt, lightly tickling her flat belly. She squirmed and a tiny giggle escaped her.

He was so busy swooning at the adorable laugh he didn't hear the car door slam, the familiar honk of his brother's SUV. He didn't hear Ludwig unlock the front door, and walk inside with an auburn haired girl kissing him vividly as they awkwardly stumbled into the very living room where Gilbert and Maddie lied.

Maddie pulled away quickly, a slight blush on her face. Gilbert scrambled off of her. Ludwig caught the movement and pulled away from his girl. The tall blond ran a hand through his slick blond hair, hopelessly trying to think of something to say while failing at hiding his burning red cheeks.

There was an extremely long awkward silence.

Ludwig's girlfriend, a bubbly joyful Italian named Feliciana, broke the silence and waved happily at the couple on the couch. "Ciao Gilbert! Ciao Maddie! How are you two?"

Gilbert just sat there gaping at the two unwelcome visitors. Feliciana had just acted like nothing had happened. Maddie laughed, unfazed by how ridiculous Feliciana was being. "Good. Gil was just on his way to take me home, weren't you Gil?" Thank God for Maddie's quick wits.

"Oh, um, yeah! Come on, Birdie." He stood up and pulled Maddie with him. Gilbert walked over to Ludwig and coughed. "Mind if I borrow your car, bruder?" he held out his hand.

Ludwig handed him the keys without a word.

"Danke!" They were out the door in a flash. Quickly they dashed into the car and buckled up.

They took one look at each other and busted out laughing.

"Did you see his face?"

"I thought he was going to explode!"

"He barely even noticed us!"

"And Feliciana too!"

They talked like this for a few minutes before Gilbert started up the car and drove Maddie home. She only lived a neighborhood away, so it didn't take long.

They pulled up to her driveway and sat in silence for a few minutes.

"You know, I'm kind of glad they interrupted us." Maddie whispered.

"What? Why?" Gilbert was really looking forward to what would've come next.

"It's just that, we just did it last week for the first time." Maddie stared straight ahead. "I don't think I'm ready."

Gilbert didn't understand. Okay, yes, they had only past that boundary last week. Which was actually pretty slow to him. But he didn't say that. "I'm not sure what you mean, birdie."

Maddie sighed. "I just… I don't want to become the kind of couple that sleeps together every night. I want it to be special. If we do it all the time…"

"You're afraid I'll get bored." Gilbert finished.

Maddie nodded. A tear ran down her cheek. "I'm sorry Gil."

"No! No no no! Don't be sorry." Gilbert took one of her hands. "Listen, Maddie. I'll never get bored of you. I swear on a stack of bruder's dirty books."

Maddie giggled through her tears. "What?"

Gilbert shrugged. "It worked for Ludwig."

Maddie was laughing now.

"That's one thing I'll never get bored of. That laugh of yours." Gilbert smiled at her. He wiped away a stray tear. "Okay?"

She sniffed. "Okay."

They stepped out of the car. Gilbert walked her to the front door. He held her in his arms one more time. _"Iich liebe dich,"_ he whispered.

_"Je t'aime."_ Maddie answered.

They finally released. "See you tomorrow," she called to him as he walked away.

"Tommorrow!" Gilbert promised. He piled into the SUV and drove away with a smile on his face.

..~xThisIsAPageBreakx~..

"Please Lovi! Share it with me!"

"No Antonio! Get your own damn tomato!"

"But Lovi~!"

"I said no!"

Gilbert smirked as he watched one of his best friends Antonio pout at his girlfriend as she ate a ripe tomato. The two had finally gotten together after years of nagging Antonio to ask her out. Gilbert had to admit, she was pretty; she had silky auburn hair and a curvy figure that was pulled together with hazel eyes. But looks could be deceiving. Lovina Vargas was known for her terrible temper that often ended with someone (usually Antonio) getting hurt. The most ridiculous thing about it was that if _she_ were ever threatened Lovina would be reduced to tears. Crazy bitch.

As she knew what he was thinking Lovina shot a glare at Gilbert. Boy, if looks could kill…

Finally Lovina gave in. "Fine. Take the damn tomato you beggar." Gilbert stifled a laugh as he watched Antonio's vibrant green eyes brighten and he hungrily took the tomato, but not without stealing a kiss from the Italian. She turned red and muttered something about tomato-loving bastards. Gilbert noticed his other best friend, a blue-eyed blond named Francis, make a noise that told he was suppressing laughter too. Then his laughter faded and he sighed with longing.

Poor Francis. The Frenchman hadn't had a girl for a few months. He was probably dying. Francis was an, erm, passionate kind of guy. He loved love. And being alone always left him restless.

The day was beautiful. They were sitting at a table in their neighborhood park, and it was one of those rare days of fall where it still believed it was summer. It wasn't too hot or too cold. Perfect. Gilbert sighed when he thought of Maddie sitting somewhere on uncomfortable bleachers as she cheered her brother on.

Okay, he had bailed on her. So what? It wasn't like it was surprising or anything. When his two best friends invited him on a day in the park he had to agree. The day was gorgeous. Besides, she should be used to it already.

Still, Gilbert couldn't help but feel guilty. He knew no matter how many times he broke their promises Maddie would undoubtedly trust him. The least he could've done was keep this one.

He glanced at his watch. Too late now, though. The game had been going on for about an hour now. Maddie would've already walked to the game. It wasn't too far from her house, though she did have to duck through an alleyway.

He turned his attention back to his friends, who spotted an ice cream truck rolling into the park and blasting high-pitched music. Antonio offered to buy Lovina one since she gave him her tomato and they all took off.

Gilbert was just about to follow when his phone rang. He frowned and checked his phone. The only people who should be calling were either with him or at the football game.

The caller id was blocked. Gilbert shrugged his shoulders and answered the phone. "Hello, this is the awesome speaking?"

"Yes, is this Gilbert Beilschmidt?" a very serious voice said on the other line.

Gilbert froze. Was it the police? No, they couldn't of figured out it was him and Francis who spray-painted the school's front door (it looked a lot better with a picture of yellow bird on it anyways). Knowing he hadn't committed any recent crimes he knew he was safe. "Ja. This is him."

"Hello, we are from the Twin Hearts Medical Center several miles away from Hetalia High School. We believe that someone you know was checked in to our hospital today by the name of Madeline Williams-Jones. Are you related to her?"

_Hospital?_ "No, I'm her boyfriend. Why? Has something happened? Is she hurt? What's going on?" Panic swelled in Gilbert's chest. _What's wrong with my Birdie?_

"Sir, I need you to remain calm." The person spoke it like a rehearsed line. "She's currently stabilized but she is in critical condition. Do you by any chance know any family of hers?"

Gilbert felt his heart stop. "Critical condition! What happened? What the hell's wrong with her?" He shouted into the phone. His friends were just coming back from the ice cream truck and they all startled when they heard him.

"Sir, I need you to listen carefully. Madeline's been in an accident. I need you to tell me if you know her legal guardians." The voice was still calm despite Gilbert's sudden outburst.

Gilbert dropped the phone. He ran past Antonio, Lovina, and Francis, who began calling his name with concern. He found Francis' car, a sleek blue convertible, opened the door. He found the spare set of keys where Francis always kept them and took off to the hospital. Only one thing ran through his head.

_My sweet little Birdie, please be okay. _

**A/N: Reviews are nice~ Please review.**


	2. Fünfzehn

**A/N: Chapter two. Italized parts are memories, just so you know.**

Fünfzehn

He arrived at the hospital ten minutes later, driving like a drunk Italian on his way to meet his friends for the best pasta in town. In other words, his driving wasn't the best.

Gilbert crashed through the front doors and almost tripped into the lady at the front desk."Please tell me where Madeline Williams-Jones is at!" He said frantically.

"Sir, sir!"The woman attempted to calm him down, but Gilbert was a man on a mission, and wasn't about to give up. "Just tell me where she is! She's my girlfriend! Please!"

"Sir, you need to calm down." The woman spoke again. Finally Gilbert realized she wasn't going to do anything until he did. He took a breath. "Madeline Williams-Jones. I need to know where she is."

The woman nodded and turned to the computer. After a few quick taps at the keyboard, she turned back towards him.

"She's in intensive care, floor 4 room 26, though she's not allowed any visitors." She continued to tap on her computer. "There's a waiting room near there. Would you like me to call someone to escort you there?" Judging by the expression on her face she probably thought he was crazy, and really wanted to call him an escort. Well, miss, not a single fuck was given about what you think.

Instead Gilbert denied her offer and calmly walked to the elevator, trying his best not to look insane, and pressed the up button. Only when the doors opened up and he stepped safely inside did he begin rushing again, nearly smashing the button labeled "4", as if it would make it quicker. As he waited in there he took a moment to think.

What had happened? Did someone hurt her at the football game? _Oh, I bet my five meters it was Ivan Braginski,_ thought Gilbert. That crazy Russian was always harassing everyone, and if you angered him enough, he would hurt you no matter the gender.

But if it wasn't him, then who the hell was it? What kind of heartless freak would harm the most perfect, amazing girl in the whole wide world? He swore, if this person had touched her…

The elevator beeped and the doors slid open. Gilbert bounded out, nearly knocking over a nurse's cart. He ran through the hallways, scanning the door numbers for 26. _23, 24, 25….._ Gilbert stopped as he reached the number. Standing next to the door was a very worried looking American.

He had his arms crossed over his number 50 football jersey. His foot tapped rapidly on the tiled floor, which made a weird sound since he was wearing cleats. His bright blue eyes were focused off somewhere in the distance. Every once in a while a hand went up to fiddle with something; his dirty blond hair, his glasses, his spandex shorts, which had fresh grass stains on the knees. He had a very serious look on his face.

It took him a few moments to notice Gilbert.

Almost immediately anger flashed through his eyes. His hands went defensively to his sides.

Gilbert took a deep breath. "Hello, Alfred," he said with caution.

Alfred glared daggers into him.

Gilbert ignored it. "Do you know what happened?" he asked.

Then Alfred did something that really concerned Gilbert. He laughed. It was a crazy, alarming laugh, one that would normally come out of someone in a mental ward. For the first time Gilbert was worried about him.

"You don't have any idea, do you?" Alfred asked suddenly. He was completely serious once again.

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Nein. That's why I'm asking you." But something in Alfred's voice made his own waver. Something was off about him. He wasn't the kind of person to joke about something so serious.

And Gilbert was right. Quick as lighting Alfred lashed out. He grabbed Gilbert by the shirt and pulled him close. "Where the hell were you?" he hissed.

Gilbert pushed himself away but Alfred held strong. _His football's paid off,_ he thought. "What are you talking about?" He tried to sound as intimidating as he could while being choked by his shirt, which truthfully was fairly difficult.

"I'm talking about before the game. You were supposed to pick Maddie up!" His voice had risen to shouting.

Gilbert glared at him. "I don't know-" Suddenly it hit him. It had happened before the game?

"Shut up!" Alfred was definitely yelling now. "She got hurt in the stupid alleyway! Some stupid bastard attacked her!" Gilbert noticed tears in the football player's eyes. "She's hurt because you never picked her up!"

Gilbert pieced things together in his head. Suddenly a scene came into his head. Maddie waiting by the curb of the road for him. Her sighing and turning to start walking when she realized he wasn't coming. The present danger going unnoticed as she entered the alleyway. The foul breath of someone lurking in the shadows, tensed and ready for her.

_Holy shit, what have I done?_

Alfred released him and he stumbled backwards, falling into the wall. When he reached it he slid down it and hit the floor heavily. He cradled his head in his hands, cursing under his breath. This whole thing… was his fault?

"I knew she was too good for you." Gilbert heard Alfred spit out. "She can do so much better than an ass like you. "

"I know!" Gilbert shouted. He felt his heart break in two when he realized the truth behind those words. _I know. _Maddie did deserve so much better. She was the nicest, sweetest girl he ever knew. Everything she did was to benefit someone else, like when she partnered up with a girl named Alice to help her ace her Culinary Arts quiz. They both failed because of Alice, but Maddie didn't care. Gilbert remembered the day when she came home, wanting to tell Gilbert all about the huge smile on the girl's face when they flunked together. Maddie was so selfless, she did deserve so much better.

Gilbert shut his eyes. He was a true jerk. There he was, taking advantage of the next girl out in front of him, even though he truly thought he loved her. What the hell was wrong with him?

His eyes stung and he held back the tears. _No, I will not cry in front of this bastard_. Gilbert took a shaky breath. He had to stay strong for Maddie, even though she probably would be in this predicament if it weren't for him. Even though it was all his fault…

"_Oh Gilbert!"Maddie laughed, a sound that was as sweet as beautiful melody. Gilbert smiled back at her, struggling to get back on his skates. When he'd asked Maddie out on a date, she had reluctantly agreed, but only if she picked the place. So she chose ice skating. Gilbert watched in awe as she slid along the ice as graceful as ever. Meanwhile he was slipping and sliding and looking as stupid as ever._

_Maddie, still laughing, held out her hand to him. He grabbed it and slowly got to his feet. "Okay, so here's how my mom taught me," she brought Gilbert so that they were side by side. "One foot in front of the other-" she pushed off the ice slowly, "and outwards like you're pushing off of the ice." She stopped and turned around. "Your turn."_

_Gilbert took a deep breath and did what she said. To his surprise, he didn't fall. He actually moved forward. Maddie was delighted. "That's it," she encouraged him._

_Gilbert smiled at her and took another step, only for his skates to fly out from under him. Maddie tried to catch him, but she wasn't strong enough and fell down on top of him. For a few seconds they stared at each other face to face. Other skaters raced around them. Then Maddie began to laugh. Gilbert laughed too. She rolled off of him and helped him up. "You're not good at this are you?" she asked him as they stepped off the rink. The whole time she hadn't let go of his hand._

_Gilbert smiled at her again, his face a little red. "Nope."_

_They left the rink and went to a nearby restaurant that served breakfast all day (the breakfast part was upon Maddie's request). Gilbert's jaw dropped when Maddie ordered the half-a-dozen stack of pancakes like him. She shrugged her shoulders. "What? I like pancakes."_

_Gilbert was doubtful she could like them _that_ much, but once again he was dumbfounded as she drenched the whole thing in maple syrup and finished off every last bite. "Damn, Birdie," he laughed as she polished off his pancakes too. "You sure can eat." _

_She wiped her mouth and frowned. "Birdie?"_

_Gilbert felt his face go hot. "Sorry, it's just that you remind me of a pet bird I used to have." She looked at him skeptically and his stomach flipped. "It, um, had bright golden feathers that look a lot like your hair. Really beautiful." She blushed and Gilbert knew he'd gotten it right._

"_Well, I don't normally eat like this. That's my brother's department. I'm usually the kind to eat next to nothing, but pancakes kinda bring it out of me." She shrugged sheepishly. "They're my favorite food."_

_She blushed again and Gilbert found himself sighing. She was really beautiful; Gilbert had noticed when she recently became a sex target for Francis. But Gilbert had saved her from definite rape by telling him to stay the fuck away, she's mine. Since Gilbert's last breakup was so harsh Francis had stopped without a word._

_They paid the check and left. It was dark out already and Maddie led Gilbert down the street. They stopped at a small bridge overlooking a river. Maddie shivered; the night had been unexpectedly cold and all she had brought was a light cardigan. Gilbert removed his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. She happily wrapped it around herself. "Thanks," she said. _

_They stood there for a few seconds. Gilbert watched Maddie as she stared at the starry night. The light of the moon reflected off of her glasses and gave her an almost glowing appearance. She was so enchanting, Gilbert wanted to take her in his arms and never let go. _

"_Wow, look at the stars." She said almost breathless. Gilbert slid closer to her. "Yeah, I guess they're okay."_

_Maddie frowned at him. "What do you mean they're okay? What can be more breathtaking than this?"_

_Gilbert snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her close. "Well, for one, you." He ran a hand through her hair._

_Maddie smiled at him. "No one's ever told me that before." She whispered._

_Gilbert shook his head. "I don't know how that's possible, because you are the most beautiful girl I've ever met." He leaned in. "But I'm glad I'm the first." _

_When their lips met Gilbert felt like the world exploded around him. He pulled her closer and the kiss became deeper. Gilbert had many kisses before, but none felt anything like this. Like pure ecstasy. Just then he knew that this time around, Madeline would prove to be something different. Not another breakup. _

**A/N: Love ya for a review, please, thanks.**


	3. Vierzehn

**A/N: I have nothing to say except that I should've posted this sooner. I tend to neglect this and this story only. But you should get at least one more chapter before this year ends because you deserve it. Sorry about that.**

**Disclaimer: Disclaimed everything except the plot. Thanks.**

Gilbert awoke to the sound of squeaking shoes on the tile floor. His head snapped up, and he winced at the crick in his neck. Did he fall asleep against the wall?

He must've dozed off. Gilbert looked across from him, where Alfred had been earlier, but the American was nowhere to be seen. Where he must've gone was a mystery. After all, his sister was in the hospital.

"Oh my. Just why might a handsome young man like yourself be doing here?" said a bouncy voice.

Gilbert jerked his head up. His neck instantly protested and a grimace found its way back on his face.

Standing next to him was an older man who looked to be in about his mid-forties. He had a well-chiseled chin with a light fuzz of a beard. His eyes were a deep brown and twinkled with jubilance. Suncrinkles appeared at the corners of them. He had a broad chest that told he was once a man of honor and power. But there was just something about his face and his voice that made him eerily familiar…

Nonetheless, he wore a white coat and carried a clipboard in his hand, so Gilbert automatically assumed he was the doctor.

The doctor still stared at him with a kind smile on his face, and Gilbert realized he was waiting for an answer. He stood up and said with his nicest grin, "Um, my name's Gilbert. Gilbert Beildschmidt. I was—"

"Beildschmidt? Hold on. Let me see…" He riffled through the papers in his clipboard. "Hmm. That last name isn't in here. So you must be a visitor!"

"Yes!" Gilbert nodded. "I'm here for—"

"Sorry, visitors cannot sleep openly in the hallways. It's a fire hazard! So if you'll just head over to the waiting room a few doors away I can give you a proper place to take a siesta."

_Siesta?_ Where had Gilbert heard that before? And why was he talking about _that?_ "But I need-"

"Don't worry. There are blankets and pillows in there. And if you sit in the red chair closest to the window no light shines on your face. Believe me, I know—"

"Would you listen!" Gilbert shouted.

The doctor grew silent. He smiled sheepishly. "So sorry. I never let my patients talk either. I will let you speak now."

Gilbert felt a little guilty for yelling at him, but he moved on. "Who are you?"

The man's eyes widened. "How rude of me! I am Dr. Vargas. Medically certified since 600 BC!" Vargas giggled. "Or, at least, that's my motto!"

Gilbert began to realize Dr. Vargas didn't exactly have a mind that ran equivalent to his age.

"So tell me, I suppose you are here for someone, right?"

"Ja. I'm here for her." Gilbert pointed to the door he'd been sitting in front of for god knows how long.

"Oh." Dr. Vargas flipped through his papers again, searching for her. "Ah! Madeline Williams-Jones. Checked in an hour ago. Blood type O, well that makes things easier. Injuries…" Vargas read these silently to himself. Was it just Gilbert's imagination, or was his expression slowly turning grim?

The doctor let the pages fall back into place. He smiled sadly. "I need to run a diagnostics check on her. There's a waiting room a few doors down. Or stay here. It'll only be a few minutes."

"And then?" Gilbert asked hopefully.

The doctor tilted his head. "You two are dating, aren't you?" He pulled Gilbert into a bone-crushing hug. "How cute! Don't worry! She'll be just fine!"

Gilbert pulled himself out of the vice grip. "You must have a loose screw," he grumbled.

Vargas didn't hear him. Instead he disappeared into the room.

"GILBERT!"

Gilbert blinked. He turned around to the noise.

_Wham!_

Next thing he knew, Gilbert was on the floor feeling like he just got tackled by a rhinoceros. He groaned.

"OhGilbertI'msohappywefoundyouwhenyoulef twithoutwarningwethoughtsome onehaddiedandIwassoworriedan dLovinadidn'twantustocomebutwedidanyways andnowshe'sreallymadatmebutIhadtocomef oryoubecauseyourmybestfriend —" Antonio spoke on top of him, hitting him with an incredible rapid fire speech worthy of an infomercial.

"Gil, what on earth were you thinking! Francis spoke over Tony's rambling. "You could've at least told us!"

"Can't breathe…" Gilbert gasped.

Once they got off of him Gilbert stood to his feet. He was shocked they were here. How the hell did they know?

"Mon ami, you left your phone." Francis spoke, as if reading Gilbert's mind. "I spoke to the man. We know everything? Is she okay? Are_ you_ okay?"

"Well, I . . ." Gilbert thought about it. _Was_ he okay? He didn't even know for himself. All he knew was that his heart felt like it was made of lead, and then smashed into a billion pieces with a hammer. _That_ couldn't be a good sign. He settled with shrugging his shoulders.

Antonio and Francis exchanged glances. "Come on, let's find a waiting room." Francis grabbed Gilbert's shoulder with comfort.

"I can't!" Gilbert shook his head. "As soon as the doctor comes out, I'll get to see her!"

"Indeed, he can." Dr. Vargas had reappeared from the room. "You are free to go, young man. Just be weary of the equipment, okay?" he winked at Gilbert.

Antonio's eyes widened. "Señor Vargas?"

The doctor turned around towards Antonio. "Tony! How nice to see you!" He ruffled Antonio's hair. "Taking good care my granddaughter?"

"Si!" Antonio replied.

_Granddaughter?_ Now everything made sense about this man. He was related to the Italian twins.

Dr. Vargas waved goodbye and skipped down the hall.

Francis chuckled softly and turned back to Gilbert. "She's waiting for you."

Gilbert looked at the door. She was.

He put a hand on the doorknob. The only thing separating him from his Birdie. He took a deep breath and pushed it open.

..~xThisIsAPageBreakx~..

"_Check out Ivan's sister," Antonio told Gilbert on the other side of the table. He glanced over at the Ukrainian and did a double take. She had dropped a book on the floor and was bending over so that you could see straight down her shirt to her massive cleavage. Gilbert grinned and Antonio suppressed laughter. _

"_Damn. Francis, you seeing this?" Gilbert nudged his friend. When he didn't reply Gilbert reluctantly took his eyes off the nice view and looked at Francis. _

_Francis was staring at something far off in the distance with a pleasant look on his face. He chin was resting on his hand and he sighed. _

"_Woah." No good could come from that look. "Antonio, Francis's planning to steal someone's virginity." He snickered._

_It took Antonio a second to peel his eyes off of you-know-what before staring at France and laughing. "Hide yo' kids, hide yo' wife." He began to sing. _

"_Ferme la bouche!" Francis snapped, his face a little red. "If you saw what extreme beauty she had, you'd look the same."_

"_Really?Who?" Gilbert leaned closer to him. It'd been almost two months since his last breakup and Gilbert was dying to move on. Especially when his ex turned around and immediately started going out with some Aristocratic tightwad. _

_Francis rolled his eyes but pointed to girl who just walked in with a huge group. "Her," he said._

_Gilbert's jaw dropped at the blonde. She had a small yet curvy figure and long legs. Her face was hidden by her golden locks, and Gilbert was dying to see what it looked like. "Damn," he muttered._

_Antonio eyes widened. "She is pretty." He nudged Francis. "Who is she?"_

"_The American's twin sister. Her name is Madeline Williams-Jones, and she's as lovely as a rose." Francis swooned._

_Gilbert watched as the girl was confronted by Alfred, an all-star, slightly annoying blonde who never shut up. He said something and she shook her head. The huge group of people went to go take a seat along with Alfred, leaving Madeline at the door. Alone. And perfectly available for flirting._

"_Be right back," Gilbert told his friends before taking off in her direction._

_When he walked up she turned towards him and Gilbert was blown away by her adorable face. Like her brother she wore glasses that she constantly kept pushing up to the bridge of her nose, only for them to fall right back down. Behind those glasses were the most incredible eyes Gilbert had ever seen. They were a startling violet; wide, seeking eyes dyed the color of an amethyst, then highlighted with flecks of blue. They constantly shifted back and forth around you, as if analyzing and searching you. Only the barest trace of makeup showed around her eyes. She had small yet lush lips that were pursed into a fine line and a faint, natural blush on her cheeks. When she stared at Gilbert he'd sworn he'd just seen the most beautiful girl on earth. _

"_Hey," he said._

"_Hello," she replied in a quiet, timid voice. Her eyebrows knitted together and she shifted uncomfortably._

"_Um, I'm sorry, it's just that I believe we never met. I'm Gilbert Beildschmidt the awesome." He spoke with a grin and held out his hand._

_Madeline smiled at his self-proclaimed title and shook his hand. "Madeline Williams-Jones . Though you can just call me Maddie." She added. Her hand felt soft but her shake was firm, like she was warning him not to mess with her. _

_Gilbert released her hand and stuffed his in his pockets. "Well, Maddie, has anyone ever told you that your eyes are the most remarkable color?" _

_She blushed a deep red, looking even more adorable. _"_W-well, you're one to talk. You're the first person I've met with red eyes." She put on a tiny smile. _

_Gilbert blushed and facepalmed in his mind. "Yeah, I get that a lot. Between my eyes and my hair, I sometimes wonder if I was a freak accident." He smiled._

"_Your hair's natural?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. _

"_Ja. You bet." He stared at the floor and wanted to hit himself. _Great, now she thinks I'm weird.

"_Can I touch it?" asked Maddie._

_Gilbert looked up and noticed she was staring at his hair with curiosity. "Um, sure." He shrugged._

_Maddie reached out a dainty hand and ran a finger through his albino hair. Gilbert's heart began racing a mile a minute._

_Finally she let her hand drop. "Wow," she muttered. _

"_I know, it's weird, huh?" Gilbert bit his lip again._

"_No, it's incredible. There are not many people I know that can have red eyes and white hair and still be as awesome as you." She chuckled. "I'll see you around, okay?" She walked past him, brushing against his shoulder before leaving the cafeteria._

_Gilbert watched her go, staring at her ass until she was out of sight. Then he sighed and returned to his table. _

"_Does Gil have a new crush?" Antonio teased as Gilbert plopped down into his seat._

_His face turned a little red and he turned towards Francis. "Francis, I want you to stay the fuck away from her, understand?" He said with a steely voice._

_Francis pouted. "What? But I saw her first."_

"_And haven't had a girlfriend for two months. Face the facts. You'd probably be over her in a week. I _want_ her. So let me have her."_

_Francis frowned but nodded his head. "Fine. But if it doesn't work out, she and will be –"_

_Gilbert and Antonio plugged their ears as the pervert began into a deep and descriptive account of just what they'll be doing._

__**A/N: Reviews are nice. K bye.**


	4. Dreizehn

**A/N: Here is the next chapter! Enjoy~**

When Gilbert first entered the hospital room he was afraid to look at the bed. Several horrible images popped into his head of what he might expect. Finally he mustered up his courage and shifted his gaze.

He almost cried with relief when he saw Maddie's perfect unharmed face, still as beautiful as ever.

Then he looked down and his heart sank.

There were tubes coming out of her chest. And he meant literally out of her chest. She was wearing a thin hospital gown and he could see the lumpy, misshapen thing traveling up the gown and coming out the shirt sleeves. They connected to IV stands and whatever the hell the other stands were. Other smaller tubes were laced around her monitoring her heart, her breathing, whatever. From waist down a white blanket covered her.

But what Gilbert saw that scared him the most was the small tear in her hospital gown, revealing a bloody bandage that disappeared under the blanket.

Gilbert went to her immediately and knelt next to the bed. He grabbed one of Maddie's hands and kissed it. "Maddie. It's okay, Birdie. I'm here now." He whispered.

No response. He wasn't expecting one, but the sheer reality of it all hit him good and hard. When the tears came he made no attempt to stop them. They were hot and breathless; tears of a mourner. For the first time, the thought of Maddie never leaving this hospital bed etched itself into his mind.

Gilbert felt like a porcelain doll suddenly dropped to the ground and in pieces. He couldn't take it. His perfect, sweet Birdie in tatters in front of him, fresh out of a horror movie to him. Just terrifying.

"No," he heard a voice behind him.

Gilbert blinked the tears away and looked towards Alfred, who had just appeared in the doorway. The American stepped forward, letting the door gently click shut behind him. Behind those glasses of his were wide blue eyes, filled with shock and terror as he took in the scene of his sister.

Then his eyes flickered to Gilbert.

The immediate flash of anger in his expression made Gilbert flinch.

"Look," Alfred told him. His voice was deadly calm. "No one else may know why Maddie's like this, but you and I do. And we both know whose fault it is." Alfred marched forward, coming until they were inches apart. "So let me tell you this. No matter how many times you say sorry, no matter what other excuses you can make up, this is your fault. Remember that." At the last word his voice cracked and tears began to spill from his eyes. He stepped back, turning away. "Maddie. My poor Maddie. I'm so sorry."

He left the room saying these words.

Gilbert slumped down on the floor, devastated. Alfred hated him for life now, which he didn't really mind. But what he said rang with truth, which probably hurt him the most.

Goddamn, why did he have to be such a screwup?

He closed his eyes for a moment. _And how can she be so perfect?_

"_Damn, Maddie. Is there times when you're hands aren't freezing?" Gilbert smiled and rubbed Maddie's hands in an attempt to warm them. _

_She smiled and shook her head. "No. But it doesn't bother me. I like the cold." She stared up into the overcast night, humming a nameless tune as the snowflakes fell around her. Some caught in her hair and made her look like a snow princess. Gilbert told her that and she shoved him playfully. _

"_I don't understand how you like this so much," Gilbert said, gesturing to the snow. "It's freezing."_

_Maddie only smiled lightly. "It reminds me of my first home, in Canada." _

_Eventually they reached Alice Kirkland's house and Maddie rang the doorbell. As they waited Maddie stood out in the snow, laughing as a snowflake landed on her nose. She spun in a circle and Gilbert chuckled._

_Something fell out of her coat pocket and rolled to Gilbert's feet. He bent over to pick it up. "Birdie, you dropped something." His eyes widened as he brought the clear, cylindrical container to his face and studied the label. He was no pharmacist, but he tried the powdery stuff in the container enough times to know exactly what it was._

"_Birdie, what are you doing with this?"_

_Maddie stopped spinning. She looked over her shoulder at Gilbert with puzzled expression. _

_Gilbert felt betrayed. He shook the container in her face. The powder shifted inside it. "I can't believe you. Maddie, why?"_

_Maddie shook her head. "No Gilbert. It's not what you think-"_

"_I told you how terrible this stuff is! Goddamnit!"_

"_Gil-"_

"_Maddie you can't do this to me. Who gave it to? It was Alfred, wasn't it?"_

"_Gil-"_

"_Fucking American! I'll kill him!"_

_Both were so engrossed with arguing with each other nobody noticed that Alice had come to the door and stood there watching them. Finally she cleared her throat and Gilbert stopped yelling and Maddie stopped reasoning._

_Alice was a British girl with blond hair and emerald green eyes. She had a look of annoyance on her face, like she was ready to intervene if they kept fighting. "I don't mean to interrupt Madeline, but you did say you found some drug for my father to confiscate." She half smiled, half glared at her._

_Maddie nodded. "Yes, I did." She snatched the container from Gilbert's hand and passed it to Alice. "Sorry about that, Alice. Here you go. Good night." She stalked off leaving a dumbfounded Gilbert and amused Alice at the front door._

_Gilbert was confused. He looked at Alice and she rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be so stupid. You know my dad's a policeman, don't you?" With that she nodded towards him and returned inside her house. _

_Gilbert felt like an idiot. _

_He ran after Maddie yelling her name. "Maddie! Please! I'm sorry!" He finally caught up to her. _

_Maddie turned around. "Honestly Gil, you think I'd be doing drugs? I'm not my brother. I don't act without thinking." She glared at him._

"_I know. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He shrugged his shoulders. _

_Maddie sighed, and Gilbert knew he'd been forgiven. He found himself wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. "I actually confiscated these from my brother, you know. Heus got the common sense of a vegetable." She whispered in his ear. This made Gilbert laugh._

_Finally they pulled away and kept walking. _

"_Maddie, you're perfect. I just hope you know that."_

"_Nobody's perfect, Gil."_

"_Well you're pretty damn close."_

Gilbert smiled. _Perfect._ That's what Maddie would always be. Even now, with tubes in her and a wound on her side, she was still perfect. Always to Gilbert.

He stood up shakily and stared at Maddie. Perfect cheeks. Perfect eyes. Perfect lips. He reached down and touched her golden locks. Perfect hair. He closed his eyes and frowned. Why would someone ever want to harm someone like her? She was the freakin' best . Only someone truly evil would dare to mess with her. A shadow of loathing passed over him for the man that hurt her.

Gilbert opened his eyes and stared at his girlfriend. Her hair was still in ponytails from whenever she did them. He took them out and arranged her locks so that it covered all of the hideous tubes. There. Much better.

Gil brought a seat from the corner and seated himself next to her bed. For a while he sat like this, twiddling his thumbs, unsure what to do.

"Gil?" Francis poked his head through the doorway. Of course it'd be him to comfort Gilbert. He was by far the most emotional of them all, but when it came to accidents like this, it was him who had the most composure. Francis had a way in which the mood was lightened slightly when he was there, possibly because he knew exactly what to say.

Francis walked over to Gilbert and put a hand on his shoulder. "She's still beautiful even like this, non?" He sighed.

Gilbert nodded. He found himself looking at Maddie's face, studying every swoop, curve, and line. Memorizing it.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Francis squeezed his shoulder.

Gilbert ran a hand through his hair. He _did _want to talk about it, but how could he?

Gilbert shook his head sadly.

Francis sighed. "I can't help you if you don't speak, _mon ami."_

Gilbert remained silent.

Francis released his shoulder and moved to the door. "Gilbert," he said before leaving, "you can't blame yourself for this. Nobody could've known." Then he was gone.

A tear fell from Gilbert's eye. Why did terrible things always happen to the nicest people? Maddie didn't deserve this. It should've been him. He was nowhere near being as kind or sweet as her. It should be him lying in the hospital bed, him struggling to survive.

The door opened again and in came the ever-smiling Doctor Vargas. He saw Gilbert and gave him a sympathetic look. "How are you, Mr. Beilschmidt?" He walked up to him with a clipboard in hand.

Gilbert peeked through his fingers with a skeptical look on his face. "How the hell do you think I am?"

Doctor Vargas ignored his tone. Instead he looked around the room with a frown on his face. "Where is Alfred?"

"Alfred?" Gilbert gritt his teeth. Alfred was the last person he wanted to see.

"Oh well. And I had good news for him too." Vargas shrugged.

"Wait, good news?" Gilbert leapt from the chair. "What news?"

The doctor smiled. "I have quite the amazing news. But unfortunately, it is my duty as a doctor to relay the information to the most important people first, such as a relative."

Gilbert stared. "So you won't tell me?"

"Unless you go find him for me?" Vargas pursed his lips. "Please?"

Gilbert sighed. He ran a hand through his platinum hair. Looks like he really had no choice. "Fine. But it won't be pretty."

Dr. Vargas enveloped him in a hug. "Oh thank you Gilbert! I knew I could count on you!"

Gilbert pushed himself away. "Yeah, sure." He stepped out into the hallway.

A serious conversation was going on. "He won't speak to me, and I believe he thinks he has something to do with this," spoke Francis.

"Si. Did you see the way he reacted when he first found out?" that was Antonio. Standing next to him was a very bored-looking Lovina, who seemed not to care.

"I see. We must watch him. I am concerned what this will do to him. Also, I suggest we keep this incident among ourselves. I don't want any unexpected visitors and neither would Gilbert." Ludwig was there, holding a hand to the back of his head. The ever-with him Feliciana held the other hand, her head turning back and forth with every person who spoke.

_What the hell was he doing here?_ Gilbert thought. The last thing he needed was his brother worrying about him.

Gilbert coughed and everyone turned towards him. There was an uncomfortable silence before he spoke. "I'm fine you guys. Bruder, you don't have to be here."

"Ja, I know. But I will stay anyways," said the blonde.

"Of course you will." Gilbert grumbled. He pushed through the group.

He began walking to the elevators, leaving the others behind. He was fine. Upset, yes. But this wasn't going to change him. He stepped into the elevator, ignoring the concerned glances coming from his friends as the doors closed shut.

**A/N: Review please, thank you!**


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